Process for treating hydrocarbons



Oct. 2, 1934.

s. TIJMSTRA 1,975,563

PROCESS FOR TREATING HYDROCARBONS Filed Jan. 1'7, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet l @57E/76W Whg/fw, @y @117/ Oct. 2, 1934. s, TUMSTRA y 1,975,563

PROCESS FOR TREATING HYDROCARBONS Filed Jan. 17, 1930 2 Sheets-Shes?I 2 770 SMR/7675.

Patented Oct. 2, 1934 UNITED; STATES ,mr-1''EN-'r OFFICE PROCESS Fon TREATING 'HYDRocARBoNs Sijbren jTijmstra,lUniversity City', `Mo., assigner., by mesne assignments, to vShell Development Company, San Francisco, 'Calinl a corporation' of- `Delaware Application January 17,

issasefial No. 421,577

a claims. I(c1. 19e-74) AnV object of the invention 1s to provide a process whereby a stream of base material is moved in a tortuo'us path and subjected to sepa- 10 rate air blasts at ahr-elevated temperature and pressure, with provision for controlling the temperature and the pressureY of the material while under treatment.- f

' Another object of the invention is to provide 15 a process of the general nature hereinbefore mentioned, which shall be a continuous process as distinguished from a batch process.

A suitable apparatus for accomplishing the invention is illustrated in the accompanying draw- 20 ings, in which- Fig. 1 is a plan View of the reaction chamber and lapparatus partly. in section illustrating a part of the internal structure in dotted lines.

. Fig. i2 is a side elevationof the reaction chamber.

Fig. '3 is a vertical detached assembly drawing partly diagrammatic illustrating the apparatus."^" v The starting material, that it is contemplated shall be treated, comprises ordinarily the residue from topped crude petroleum oils of asphaltic base. This material is charged to a heater, conventionally illustrated in the drawings, and indicated by the numeral 1. The material is advanced through a charging line 2, from any suitable source of storage, by a charging pump 3 and passes through the heater coil 4, where it is elevated in temperature to a degree so that it passes to a reaction chamber 5 through a transfer line 6 at a relatively high temperature to establish in the tank a normal initial reaction temperature of approximately 425 F.

The reaction chamber may be of any suitable design and is shown in the drawings as a closed rectangular chamber having a dome top '7 from which there is a vapor outlet conduit 8. The reaction chamber is provided with a series of parallel vertical walls 9 extending upwardly from the bottom wall of the reaction chamber, the upper edge of said walls having an elevation somewhat below the internal surface of the dome '7. Alternate ones of the walls 9 are attached to opposite ends of the reaction chamber in order to provide a tortuous passageway, which the ma- ;55 terial under treatment is required to traverse.

The transfer line 6 enters the reaction chamber at one end and discharges'the stream of heated ymaterial into the space between one side Wall of the reaction chamber and the approximate wall 9. The stream is, therefore, required to traverse the pass formed by the approximate wall 9 and the side walls of the reaction chamber andflows forwardly to the opposite end of the reaction chamber and then through the pass -formed by the next adjacent wall 9 and the Vwall -9 approxi'- mate'to the inlet side of the reaction chamber. The stream of material continues to counter'- flow through the several passes formed inV the reaction chamber and discharges from the opposite side and opposite end of the tank `to av conduit 10, from which it is withdrawn by Va pump 1l for storage.

The rate of flow into the Vreaction chamber is such that a level of` the liquid material under treatment will be maintained at approximately the liquid level line 12, as indicated on Fig. 2 of the drawings, permitting a sufficient period of contact of asphalt and air and leaving a vapor space of'substantial cubic capacity between the liquid level and the dome lof the reaction chamber. l i

lIn each of the' passes vformed by the walls A9 andthe side walls of the reaction chamber, there `is an air nozzle pipe 13 having vair `discharge oriflice's 14 arranged in longitudinal series through the top wall of the horizontal leg of the pipe 13. The pipes 13 are preferably bent in angle form, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, and enter the end of the reaction chamber through suitable openings formed in the wall thereof and extend downwardly and horizontally across the bottom of the passes formed in the reaction chamber. The outer ends of the pipes 13 connect into a manifold supply pipe or air line l5, the communication between the manifold or air line 15 with the several air supply pipes being controlled by a valve 16, so that the amount of air delivered into each pass of the reaction chamber may be independently and separately controlled.

Each of the several passes or reaches is supplied with coil 1'7 of several bends connected through the control valve 18 with the manifold header 19 and discharging into a conduit 20. A back pressure valve 21 is provided for each coil section. The purpose of the coil sections just described is to provide a circulating conduit for a temperature controlling medium, and by means of the valve 18 the temperature in each of the reaches may be independently controlled.

The blowing reaction of petroleum residues to 1m form blown asphalt is an exothermic reaction and, therefore, the temperature of the material varies in relation to the amount of oxygen supplied and the character of the material undergoing treatment. In order to obtain a uniform or graded end product,it is an advantage to conduct the treatment under predetermined temperatures. The temperature controlling coils, therefore, provide for regulating the temperature of the material during the period in which it is subjected to the blowing treatment.

In the upper part of'the reactionV chamber, there is a steam supply which, in the embodiment shown, comprises a parallel series of steam supply pipes 22 arranged so that there is one steam supply pipe for each compartment ofthe reaction chamber, said supply pipes having outlet orices 23. The steam supply pipes 22 pass out through an end wall of the reaction chamber and connect into a steam supply manifold header 24, which obviously-may be valve-controlled to admit predetermined quantities of steam into the vapor space of the reaction chamber. The steam introduced into the vapor space of the reaction chamber so dilutes the vapors as tofprevent the formation of an explosive mixture in the vapor space, thereby preventing damage to the reaction chamber that might otherwise occur in the treating operation. The steam has the additional property of breaking the foam from the asphalt, reducing its tendency to overilow or become entrained with the escaping vapors.

In utilizing the apparatus to accomplish the invention, the preheated material is introduced into the reaction chamber through the transfer line 6. The stream of material then follows a tortuous path through the compartments formed -in the reaction chamber at a reduced velocity. The passes, constituting together the path of the material in the reaction chamber, are of substantial length and cross area. Since the air supply is delivered throughout each pass and near the bottom of the body of the material moving through the reaction chamber at a relatively low velocity, the material will be subjected to injection of a divided air stream, which acts upon the material to accomplish the blowing reaction. The air supply is regulated, so that the volume of air delivered to the moving stream of material under y treatment may be accurately controlled. The

temperature likewise may be accurately controlled in each of the passes or reaches through the temperature control medium passing through the internal coils 17. Since the factor of temperature and the factor of volume of air delivered to the quantity of material in the reaction chamber may be thus accuratelyv controlled, the nature of the end product may be regulated and, moreover, the process may be conducted as a continuous process, the starting material being continuously fed to the reaction chamber and the material after treatment being continuously withdrawn from the reaction chamber.

t is obvious, therefore, that the process, as disclosed, fully accomplishes the desired purposes and provides an economical continuous controlledl process for the blowing of asphaltic base materials. I am awarev that the invention may be modied in numerous particulars without departure from the spirit and scope thereof, and I ,do not limit the process, therefore, except as clearly pointed out in the appended claims. What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1s:- Y

l. The continuous process of blowing petroleum base materials which consists in causing the stream of material to be treated to traverse a path' in separated parallel reaches of substantial length, supplying separate streams of air tothe material progressively as it traverses the separate reaches, separately and independently regulat-v ing the temperature of the material in each of the reaches by an indirect heat exchange, and then withdrawing the material after the blowing action has been completed.

2. The continuous process of blowing petroleum base materials which consists in heating the material to a high temperature then conducting the heated material through a path in separate parallel reaches of substantial length, producing exothermic reaction by supplying air to the material below the surface thereof as it traverses the separate reaches, separately and independently regulating the temperature of the material in each of the reaches by an indirect heat exchange with a temperature controlling medium which is independent of the material being treated, and then withdrawing the material after the blowing has been completed.

SIJBREN TIJMSTRA. 

